Packers boost cornerback depth by selecting South Carolina's Brandon Cisse at No. 52 overall

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Green Bay general manager Brian Gutekunst lived up to his word and boosted the Packers' cornerback depth by selecting South Carolina’s Brandon Cisse with their opening pick in the NFL draft Friday.

The Packers, who didn’t have a first-round pick, chose Cisse in the second round at No. 52 overall. This marked the latest that Green Bay has ever made its opening pick in a draft.

Green Bay then sent a fifth-round pick to Tampa Bay to move up seven spots in the third round and take Missouri defensive tackle Chris McClellan at No. 77 overall.

Gutekunst said at a pre-draft news conference Tuesday that cornerback was probably the position where “we’re going to need to add the most numbers.” Green Bay lacked proven cornerbacks beyond the tandem of Keisean Nixon and Carrington Valentine.

Cisse is eager to show he's ready to help out. His emotional reaction to the announcement of his name was caught on camera during the draft telecast.

“It’s special,” Cisse said. “I saw the area code and I saw Green Bay Packers, and it’s like a moment come true. Just really can’t put it into words.”

Cisse said his girlfriend's family members are big Packers fans from Wisconsin, giving him plenty of familiarity with his new team.

“Just a historic tradition,” Cisse said. “Cheesehead, Go Pack Go, just a very loud stadium, Lambeau Field.”

Cisse also said he spoke briefly with Nixon, another former South Carolina player. Cisse said he planned to learn everything he could from his new teammate.

Although Cisse's college numbers don't jump off the page, the Packers believe he has plenty of qualities that should translate to the NFL.

Cisse spent last season at South Carolina after playing two years at N.C. State. The 6-footer totaled 10 pass breakups and two interceptions in three college seasons.

Packers national scout Mike Owen said he lives about 35 minutes from South Carolina's campus and spent plenty of time with Cisse.

“When you go there, they spoke highly of him in the weight room, at practice,” Owen said. “Smart kid, always watching a ton of football. Every time I went there, he was in the recruiting office watching the NFL, college or high school. That’s what I love about the kid. He really loves football at the end of the day.”

Cisse's love for football was evident from the trip he took to watch last season's NFC championship game at Seattle in person. He hopes to eventually be playing in a game with similarly high stakes.

“It’s something that you really strive for,” Cisse said. “So I look forward to it and being able to get in that kind of environment.”

The Packers got another SEC defensive player in McClellan, who started 22 games at Missouri over the last two seasons after playing for Florida from 2022-23. He recorded six sacks last season.

Green Bay wasn't picking until Friday because the Packers had sent their 2026 and 2027 first-round picks to Dallas last August as part of the blockbuster trade that brought All-Pro pass rusher Micah Parsons to Green Bay.

Parsons had 12 1/2 sacks in 14 games last year before tearing his anterior cruciate ligament, an injury that ended his 2025 season prematurely and likely will prevent him from being available for the start of the upcoming season.

This marked the first time Green Bay entered a draft without a first-round pick since 1986, though the Packers traded out of the first round on draft day in 2008 and 2017.

The Packers have five picks on Saturday, including two in the seventh round.

The Packers are chasing a fourth straight playoff berth after going 9-8-1 and losing 31-27 at Chicago in the NFC wild-card playoff round last season. They ended their 2025 season with five straight losses.

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FILE - South Carolina cornerback Brandon Cisse (15) runs drills during the school's NFL football Pro Day, March 17, 2026, in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Scott Kinser, File)

CINCINNATI (AP) — The Cincinnati Bengals continued to invest in their pass rush Friday night by selecting Texas A&M edge rusher Cashius Howell with their first pick of the NFL draft.

Howell was the 41st overall player taken in the draft and the third edge rusher in the second round. He was an Associated Press first-team All-American and the SEC's defensive player of the year.

Howell is 6-foot-2 and 253 pounds, which is leaner than the Bengals typically go for on the defensive line. He offers the Bengals speed around the edge and upgrades their pass rush depth. Howell recorded 11 1/2 sacks last year.

Cincinnati traded the 10th overall pick to the New York Giants for Dexter Lawrence last weekend. It was the first time the Bengals did not have a first-round pick since 1989.

Howell joins Myles Murphy, Boye Mafe and Shemar Stewart on the Bengals’ defensive end depth chart.

The Bengals had notable needs at linebacker and cornerback, but the opportunity to add a premium pass rusher in Howell was too good to pass up.

“The quick wins he can give us as a rusher is really dynamic,” assistant general manager Mike Potts said. “His arsenal of rush tools and moves that he has, I thought it was second to none in this draft class.”

The Bengals drafted Shemar Stewart out of Texas A&M last year in the first-round, but Howell has a very different style. His speed stands out, and he also offers outside linebacker versatility.

“He can play 4-2 edge,” defensive coordinator Al Golden said. “He can play outside backer if you go into five down (linemen). He showed proficiency being able to drop. He can help us on special teams. This is a multi-faceted athlete. A really, really twitched up guy.”

Potts said that the Bengals weighed opportunities to move up and move back on Friday night, but the compensation didn’t work out. Sticking at pick No. 41, the Bengals were able to land a player in Howell who made a very strong impression during the pre-draft process.

“They told me on my (pre-draft) visit that they’d hope I fall to them,” Howell said. “It’s a blessing.”

He began his college career as a redshirt at Bowling Green. Howell transferred to Texas A&M in 2024, and 2025 was his true breakout year.

“We were completely aligned with the personnel and coaching staff,” Potts said. “This guy is one of our favorite players in the draft.”

While the Bengals had three potential impact pass rushers already on the roster, there was no established depth beyond that. Entering the draft, the Bengals’ fourth defensive end was Isaiah Foskey, who wasn’t on the roster at the start of last season.

Even though the Bengals could have added a potential starter at linebacker or corner, they were planning to address defensive end early in this draft. They checked that box with Howell.

“There are always different tiebreakers,” Potts said. “In this case, it was a position we wanted to address and the highest-graded player.”

In the third round, the Bengals went for upside at a position of need and selected Washington cornerback Tacario Davis.

The Bengals lacked a backup corner with the physical skill set to grow into a future starter, and Davis checks that spot. The front office was impressed by his combination of size, speed and production. Davis can contribute as a true man corner in specific matchups and on third downs when the Bengals look to get more defensive backs on the field.

Davis backs up two standout corners in Dax Hill and DJ Turner and provides important depth in the secondary.

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FILE - Texas A&M defensive end Cashius Howell (9) rushes Samford quarterback Quincy Crittendon (2) during the first quarter of an NCAA college football game, Nov. 22, 2025, in College Station, Texas. (AP Photo/Sam Craft, File)